At the end of the workday, most in our society are physically exhausted. Even those with relatively sedentary occupations often supplement their daily routine with vigorous physical exercise. Physical exhaustion, however, does not always equal to mental exhaustion, and many choose to end the day by reclining and watching television. The added convenience of turning off the television and falling immediately to sleep lead many to watching television as the last activity before retiring for the night.
Typically, the television is placed near the bed either on a television stand or on a nearby piece of furniture. In either location, the person watching television has little choice on how to position herself. She must either sit up in bed, with her legs either stretched straight out or bent, or she must partially recline and place or prop her head up at an uncomfortable angle in order to view the television. Either position, in addition to being uncomfortable, can create or aggravate back and neck pain. Consequently, physicians and orthopaedic doctors recommend that these positions be avoided. Thus, there is a need for bedroom furniture to accommodate a television in an easy-to-view location.
Moreover, there also exists a strong need to provide a functional and comfortable environment for persons who are confined at home to their beds for illness or recuperation. An attractive piece of bedroom furniture that fits within or complements a room's decor creates a pleasing, non-hospital room environment. Having the added convenience of comfortably viewing television or pre-recorded videotapes while being confined to bed will ease and possibly shorten the person's recovery.
Previous attempts to design a bed/television combination have not succeeded in meeting the needs of consumers. Examples of known devices include the cocoon-like modules of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,395,785 and 4,505,078; the retrofit, cantilevered frames of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,410,158 and 5,009,379; and the cumbersome, complex structures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,903,353, 5,054,139 and 5,165,126.
The purpose of this invention, therefore, is to provide a lasting piece of fine bedroom furniture that allows a person to comfortably view a television while reclining. For many, the optimum angle for viewing a television while reclining results only if the television is elevated and angled towards the viewer so that uncomfortable or protracted neck and back positions can be avoided.